Out-of-Home Turns into Theatre
Retail is having a tough transition to the changing digital environment. Yet many brands are finding new ways to brand themselves in this new normal.
Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is experiencing a lift in this new media world. But OOH is so much more than billboards. Today, retailers are realizing the value of their windows and entrances to create more immersive experiences. Store and business windows are becoming display areas with little to no competition for the company’s message. They operate 24 hours a day with app indicators on the window or product code information.
Soon contactless payment functionality will allow for donations to be made right at a nonprofit’s window and video can be synched to show the impact when a gift is made.
The use of vinyl allows brands to achieve a larger share of eyeballs as people are pulled into their messages and graphically directed to digital engagement offerings. There is also the use of sidewalk signs to create selfie opportunities (this example from SeaCrest has many layers to the campaign).
With the resurgence of urban living, the street will become a major media player in the future. Stores that once sold only products may find a new revenue source in selling space and access to walkers and bikers. My challenge is to city code enforcers to be open minded and proactive with new technology and innovation
Mark Mathis
Mark wrote his first direct-mail fundraising letter in 1981 for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. The effort raised a few million dollars in undiscovered wills and legacy gifts. From that day forward Mark discovered a love of the big idea that moves the needle. After 12 years at KWWL, Mark became a business owner as a co-founder of ME&V — rebranded as AMPERAGE in 2015. After 25 years of leading creative teams in video production, graphic design, PR, writing and web development, Mark transitioned out of ownership in 2021. Today he serves in an employee role as special projects consultant. He is creatively ambidextrous — son of an artist and engineer — and famous for distilling complex ideas down to a few words and a few visuals. Mark is a writer. When he found that many nonprofits struggled with complex branding puzzles, he wrote the book, “NonProfit-NonMarketing .” He also wrote a novel called “Reenactment.” Mark is an active blogger OneMinuteMarketer® with nearly 1,000 readers each week on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. One of his most popular YouTube videos is on “How to Look Good on Zoom.” One of Mark’s fondest business memories was being named to INC 500 two times and attending the INC 500 conference with other winners. Mark is considered by some a Civil War expert (and that explains his novel). Mark also served as an adjunct professor in the business and in the communications departments at Wartburg College. Mark is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently vice president of the University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communications Advisory Board. Mark is married to state Sen. Liz Mathis, and the two love to travel, even when it means being trapped by a volcano in the Czech Republic for three weeks.
